traveling in style when you're rich in time

Packing for this trip was tricky because I wanted to pack light while ALSO bringing enough toiletries and various clothes to survive three months. Needless to say, I probably didn’t pack as light as I could’ve and should’ve, but I planned on bringing some stuff that I knew I could jettison along the way.

Lightweight, patterned tank tops and skirts. Lightweight because they’re cooler and dry more easily, and patterned so they don’t show dirt. 😉

Thrifted clothes and old clothes that I won’t feel bad about getting rid of as I travel.

Bug spray. Although I never use it at home, the DEET-free lemon eucalyptus stuff I packed has been a life saver.

Sunscreen. If you wait to buy it here in Costa Rica, expect to pay twice as much.

A cotton beach sarong. I’ve used it as a towel, a skirt, and a beach blanket.

As much underwear as possible.

Sample sized vials of perfume. I shower three times a day here and perfume is still more necessary than you’d think.

A lightweight satchel for going to the beach or walking around town with.

Travel sized, individually packaged packets of coconut oil from Trader Joe’s. You can buy coconut oil here, but having it in packets is awesome if you want to take some with you to the beach for light sunscreen, or if you want to cook with it.

Earplugs.

The things I brought but could’ve lived without:

Two pairs of sneakers. 90% of the time I’m rocking flipflops or sandals.

T-shirts. Seriously, I know it’s just sleeves we’re talking about, but you’ll want to wear the least amount of clothes possible here. Do yourself a favor and stick to tank tops or crop tops whenever possible.

Things I wish I’d brought:

More clothes for going out. Although it’s casual, everyone steps it up a notch to go out.

A small quick-dry towel.

In conclusion, I’m happy enough with the options I brought but I’ll probably be getting rid of clothes as I go, and maybe I’ll leave my hoop behind. MAYBE.

I did it. I’m here. In spite of a semi-harrowing arrival, I’m sitting in an airy bus station food court facing the colorful mish-mashed sprawl that is San Jose and the gently sloping mountain behind it.

To back up, I barely managed to sleep at all during my flights and the time between them. I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve and was too wired up about the upcoming travels.

The real adventure began after the plane touched down in San Jose. Shouldering my huge backpacking backpack, I wondered why in God’s name I had thought it a good idea to pack 38 pounds’ worth of shit, albeit mostly important shit. I weaved my way through the gauntlet of hundreds of taxi drivers clamoring for customers. The bus station should’ve been right outside the airport, or so I thought, but I couldn’t find it… all I saw were a handful of covered shelters where buses rolled up to, but no station. In my creaky Spanish, I asked a couple girls where I should go to get the bus to Jaco. They both smiled and shrugged.

It felt like I asked half the country, and everyone’s answers contradicted each other. One girl said I should walk down the street three blocks, back towards the airport; an older cab driver said I’d need to cross the street to catch the proper bus. It wasn’t until I practically interrogated an actual bus driver that I understood that I’d need to take a bus to the center of town in order to catch another bus to Jaco. He seemed friendly, talking to me in the exasperated yet parental way you would if you, too, had helped plenty of other confused tourists. I was so thankful for an answer that finally made sense.

Still in Spanish, I asked if I could take his bus to the Coca Cola Center. He didn’t say yes or no. Instead, as he turned to walk back towards the front of the bus, he waved, pointed backwards, and yelled “detras” (behind) a couple times. I looked at the back door to the bus. It was still just as wide open as the main front door. Did he mean I should hop on? Why else would he have pointed backwards and said “detras” in a conspiratorial tone like that? I didn’t have a chance to ask before he had disappeared onto the bus. In my fogged-out and sleep deprived state, I didn’t think, didn’t question… I just darted through the back door of the bus and up the narrow set of stairs as fast as I could with so much weight on my back. It wasn’t until I was standing in the middle of the aisle, a spectacle for all the chill ticos watching me, that I looked out the back window of the bus. Pulling up behind us was a big orange bus.

Time moved in slow motion as I took a tentative step back towards the doors only to hear a loud beep and watch them close in front of me.

Shit.

I fell into the nearest seat as the bus lurched forward and thought about what an idiot I was. Of course the driver had meant for me to board the next bus. What the hell was I thinking? I was in too deep. I couldn’t ask the bus driver to stop because we were already moving along a congested highway, and I didn’t want to get stuck on the side of the road. Why on earth would I have thought the bus driver meant I could hop on the back of the bus? I hadn’t even bought a ticket.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I hunkered down lower in my seat as the passenger in front of me, a guy with a shaved head and burly arms covered in tribal tattoos, cackled to his girlfriend. Unlike me, he seemed to be having a great time, amusing himself by tossing Pringles cans and soda bottles into abandoned lots and hocking loogies out the window.

I was scared to even ask anyone where the bus was going. I sat paralyzed by my own stupidity, jumping from conclusion to conclusion. What if I ended up in Nicaragua or something? What if the bus’s last stop was some tiny village and I had to haul my pack miles to even reach a semblance of civilization?

The only good thing about the haze of sleep deprivation that had gotten me into this mess was that it also dulled the sharp fear that pulsed through my body. I finally started to get my mind under control by reminding myself that hey, at least I wasn’t spending another mind-numbingly boring day at the office. I took a few deep breaths and turned to the soft featured middle aged woman sitting in the row across the aisle from me. “Excuse me, where does this bus go? I needed to get to the Coca Cola Center but I think I made a mistake.”

“We’re going just a little bit past the center, don’t worry.” The way she responded, I knew she took pity on me. I silently thanked my luck that I possessed a soft voice and big eyes that probably made people think I was innocent and not the kind of unpitiable dumbass who just gets on buses without knowing where they’re going.

I thanked her and slumped back into my seat, relieved. I could handle a little detour as long as I knew I was headed in the right direction. It was clear that we were indeed headed towards the center of town. The buildings, rough and dilapidated houses wedged between stores and fresh-looking commercial properties, were clumped closer and closer together.

As the bus slowed down at an intersection, my savior waved at me and said I should get out there to be closer to the center. I jumped up and tried to heave my bag onto my shoulder, but the bus began moving. She yelled at the bus driver to wait and he stopped immediately. Thanking her profusely, I hurried off the bus as fast as I could.

Luckily for me, the corner that I’d stepped off onto was directly across from some airline office building. Half a dozen bored-looking uniformed employees milled around out front and the youngish bright eyed guy I spoke to seemed happy to help.

After I explained my situation, he scratched his chin and replied to my Spanish with perfect English. “If you go to Terminal 7-10, that’s where you need to go to get to Jaco… you could also go to the Coca Cola Center.” As he stood pondering, he waved over a coworker to discuss it and agreed I should go to Terminal 7-10.

“How far is it?” I asked. I wouldn’t have minded walking if it wasn’t for my backpack, and for the fact that I wasn’t sure how safe the neighborhood was.

“A couple miles… you need an uber.”

“What about a cab? My phone doesn’t work without wifi.”

He shook his head. “Here, I’ll order you an uber.” I couldn’t have been more grateful that, in spite of my stupid decisions, these welcoming people were looking out for me. It made me think about how different things might have been if the tables were turned. If, instead, I’d been a Spanish speaker asking for help in the U.S. with less-than-perfect English, I wondered if anyone would go out of their way to help me.

I was able to buy a ticket at the station for 4pm for less than $5, so no harm done. Just a minor (terrifying) detour. I got to relax in the airy bus station, safe and dry, watching the afternoon rain coat the city streets in a glossy sheen.

The ride to Jaco took 2.5 hours. It started in stop-and-go traffic, motorbikes whizzing between the lanes and darting in and out of rush hour traffic, and was all the more exciting because I had a front row seat, literally. I got to see how close it was when the bus driver nearly hit another bus, and the time he nearly smashed into the arm of a toll booth that clearly had taken longer to open than expected.

My trip, which consisted of two planes, a bus, an uber, another bus, and a taxi, finally ended around 7pm when I found the hostel and walked in to meet my new international family.

So yeah, I made it, and it’s safe to say I learned a lot on the way. Until next time!

Today I leave for Jaco, one of Costa Rica’s major surf towns, and I couldn’t be more excited to head into the unknown. To elaborate, I’ve never been to Costa Rica before, I’m going by myself, I don’t know exactly how long I’ll be staying, and I don’t know anyone in the entire country unless you count Chris, the manager of the hostel where I’ll be worktrading. (He and I facetimed for 5 minutes, so that counts, right?) In case you’re not familiar, worktrading is the term for work that is traded in exchange for accommodation and/or food–a nebulous concept that is neither altruistically volunteering nor working purely for monetary compensation.

What I’m doing and how I found out about it:

I discovered the opportunity to work 28 hours a week at a hostel cafe/smoothie bar last month while sifting through different host listings on workaway.info. This site offers an incredible and unique way to travel by connecting open minded travelers with hosts. Most worktrade situations involve anywhere from 15-35 hours a week doing farm work, language teaching, childcare, eldercare, kitchen help, housekeeping, hostel work, etc for accommodation. (Some awesome hosts even offer meals and stipends.)

Two of my best friends, Nicole and Chrystina, first introduced me to workaway a couple years ago. It’s a solid way to travel in spite of not having much money. Initially I was unsure about traveling as a solo female/independent badass bitch, but my friends had had great workaway experiences themselves and reassured me that each host is registered and verified through the site.

I didn’t have much to lose, and before I knew it I found myself exploring both Puerto Rico and Spain by worktrading in hostels over the course of 5 months.

What I loved most about these experiences was the level of immersion in the local culture that you wouldn’t ordinarily enjoy on a two-week long vacation (The Spanish slang I learned! The friends I made! The secret beaches I lounged on!), and the incredible group of adventurers from all over the world, both coworkers and fellow travelers, who turned out to be my built-in friends. Fun people plus few responsibilities plus vacation plus the structure of a few hours of work a day plus seeing the world?? Hell yeah.

How I’m doing it:

This winter I worked two jobs 7 days a week, one full time and one part time, so I was able to save up some monetary padding.

Food

Since I’ll be earning tips and 7% of the cafe’s profit during my daily four hour shifts, I’m hoping those funds cover the cost of my food. I’m not worried since I’m planning on sticking to the traditional “tico” diet of rice and beans plus as much local produce as I want. Costa Ricans, who prefer to be referred to as ticos, apparently have their own version of rice and beans called “gallo pinto” which also includes cilantro, onions, and peppers. Even going out to eat can be affordable (2-4USD a meal) if you go to local diner-style “sodas”. Supposedly, food is only expensive in Costa Rica if you’re buying processed Western stuff, so all the more reason to give up the disgusting yet delicious junk I shouldn’t be eating anyway, right?

Airfare

My flight from Denver to San Jose cost $190 through Spirit–an especially good deal thanks to May being a low month for Costa Rica. Although Spirit itself is notoriously bare-bones, I at least had the luxury of choosing one-way because it was just as good a value as roundtrip. I love having as much freedom as possible when I travel, whether that means “something came up and I want to go home” or “I don’t ever want to leave and you can’t make me.” (Side note–Costa Rican airport officials probably would want me to leave. They don’t, as a rule, allow travelers to board a flight to enter the country unless they have proof of departure. In order to circumvent this, I intend to buy a ticket from San Jose to Managua right before I board the flight; I’ll cancel for a full refund as soon I’ve safely made it into the country.)

Tours/Going out

The biggest financial uncertainty for me is the cost of excursions and nights out. This part of my budget is flexible because I’m prioritizing sightseeing and partying over penny-pinching. I’ve heard from several reliable sources (aka people on the internet) that so many bars offer ladies’ nights that girls can essentially drink for free every night if they know where to go (for once, the kind of gender inequality I can get behind!). I want to be open to whatever adventure is going down. I don’t want to blow through my savings, but I have my priorities: I didn’t work 60 hours a week this winter to NOT be able to see some sloths in the damn rain forest.

The Unexpected

Of course, no matter how prepared you are, there are always necessities you find yourself without. On my trip to Guatemala, for example, I’d forgotten to bring face scrub–a necessity when you’re as whitey white as me and have to cake multiple layers of 50 SPF onto your face every day to avoid getting burnt and looking like a sweaty tomato. I ended up shelling out the equivalent of $9 for a travel-sized tube of men’s Nivea face scrub. I think it cost more than the same amount of gold would have, and let me tell you, it was worth every penny. I don’t mind if I have to go over budget for something equally important.

The Breakdown

I’m tentatively budgeting $1000 spending money for my trip assuming I stay three months, which works out to ~$10 a day. I’m not including airfare, and that amount might change if the internet lied about ladies’ nights. To clarify, if I’m able to spend under $2000 total for the whole thing, I’ll be a happy camper.

Why I’m doing it:

The main reason I’m going to Costa Rica is because I want to have fun. I can’t wait to wiggle my toes in the sand, laze around in the ocean, and explore the rain forest. I’m excited to be surrounded by a brand new group of people who I hope are interesting, a little strange, and very entertaining. I’m looking forward to going out at night without worrying about waking up at 5:45am to go to work like I did this past year. I want to read all the books I haven’t had time for, and I want to write if for no other reason than to record my memories. I can’t wait to get buffeted by the waves as I learn how to surf.

I’d loved my past visits to Guatemala and Honduras because of the amazing food and friendly people, so I figured I’d love Costa Rica, too. I wanted to go somewhere that wasn’t quite as pricey as Europe but still offered interesting local culture where I could practice my rusty Spanish. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still in my honeymoon phase as a new Denver resident, but I miss the beach… Most appealing to me is the promise of being able to spend so much time outside and in the sun, especially after working an office job.

I chose Beds on Bohio in Jaco because it had great reviews on workaway as well as on booking sites, and because it’s barely a block from the beach.

So there ya have it, my fairly unplanned travel plans. My upcoming post will cover tips and tricks for packing light. Until next time, friends!